Evaluation of a Vancomycin-Based LC Column in Enantiomeric Separation of Atenolol: Method Development, Repeatability Study and Enantiomeric Impurity Determination

An LC method was developed and validated for the enantioselective separation and enantiomeric impurity quantitation of atenolol. Separation of the atenolol enantiomers on the Chirobiotic V2 (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column was best achieved using a ternary mobile phase of methanol–acetonitrile-triethylamine acetate 0.5% (w/v), pH 4.5 in a ratio of (45:50:5; v/v/v). Good resolution value of R _s  = 3 was obtained at a flow rate of 1 mL min^?1 within a total run time of less than 40 min. Peak identification was achieved using the standard reference of individual enantiomers. The peak of the impurity was eluted in front of the peak of the main enantiomer. Detection was performed by UV at 226 nm. Within and between day’s repeatabilities for both retention time and peak area were investigated at three concentration levels and found to be low. The method was also found to be efficient for the determination of atenolol enantiomeric impurity. An impurity quantitation level of (R)-atenolol down to 0.08% relative to the main enantiomer (S)-atenolol was found possible.     

An unusual bioactive oleanane triterpenoid from Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don

An unusual oleanane triterpene(1) was isolated from aerial parts of Rhododendron campanulatum.The compound had shown prominent antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities.The structure of the compound was determined by spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis.     

Synthesis of a C-2 Stapled Bis-Lexitropsin

Summary. A convenient synthesis method was developed for the preparation of C-stapled homodimeric bis-lexitropsins connected through the nitrogen atoms of the central pyrrole ring with a bis-methylene linker. This lexitropsin is designed as a standard for other bis-lexitropsins with longer chains in biological evaluation and NMR studies. The key step in this method is the treatment of ethyl 4-nitropyrrole-2-carboxylate with flame-dried potassium carbonate in DMF followed by the addition of 1,2-dibromoethane to form the 1,2-dipyrroloethane derivative.     

The Hamilton formalism with fractional derivatives

Recently the traditional calculus of variations has been extended to be applicable for systems containing fractional derivatives. In this paper the passage from the Lagrangian containing fractional derivatives to the Hamiltonian is achieved. The Hamilton's equations of motion are obtained in a similar manner to the usual mechanics. In addition, the classical fields with fractional derivatives are investigated using Hamiltonian formalism. Two discrete problems and one continuous are considered to demonstrate the application of the formalism, the results are obtained to be in exact agreement with Agrawal's formalism.     

Singular limits for a 4-dimensional semilinear elliptic problem with exponential nonlinearity

Using some nonlinear domain decomposition method, we prove the existence of branches of solutions having singular limits for some 4-dimensional semilinear elliptic problem with exponential nonlinearity.     

Triple collisions in the isosceles three body problem with small mass ratio

We use a slightly modified version of McGehee's transformation to study the triple collisions of the isosceles three body problem in a way that allows us to let the mass ratio go to zero. We study the limiting case and show that the collision manifold changes topologically, which affects the behaviour of near collision orbits. We also obtain new information about the flow on the collision manifold when the mass ratio is small.     

Solubility of polycyclic aromatics in binary solvent mixtures using activity coefficient models

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) precipitation is one of the major problems in the hydrocracking units. In this investigation, pyrene and phenanthrene were selected because they were found to be in higher concentrations in the feed to hydrocracking units. Their solubilities were investigated in toluene solvent mixture of iso-octane and heptane over a temperature range from 293 to 323 K. The experimental solubility data were used to predict the interaction parameters for seven different solid–liquid equilibrium models. The following activity coefficient models were used; Wilson, NIBS/Redlich–Kister, UNIQUAC, modified UNIFAC, modified UNIFAC (Dortmund), Flory–Huggins and Sheng. The interaction parameters were expressed as a second-order polynomial function in temperature. In order to test the models, the average absolute deviation percentage (AADP) was used. The overall AADP was found to range from approximately 7 to 14%. The models can be arranged according to their accuracy in a descending order based on AADP as follows: NIBS/Redlich–Kister, Wilson, UNIQUAC, Sheng, Flory–Huggins, modified UNIFAC (Dortmund) and finally modified UNIFAC. All models used in this work gave reasonable results; however, the group contribution models can also be used as a predictive tool for the solubility measurement of pyrene and phenanthrene in other solvents containing the same groups of the solvents used in this study.     

Convection regimes and heat transfer characteristics along a continuously moving heated vertical plate

The steady laminar flow and thermal characteristics of a continuously moving vertical sheet of extruded material are studied close to and far downstream from the extrusion slot. The velocity and temperature variations, obtained by a finite volume method, are used to map out the entire forced, mixed and natural convection regimes. The effects of the Prandtl number (Pr) and the buoyancy force parameter (B) on the friction and heat transfer coefficients are investigated. Comparisons with experimental measurements and solutions by others in the pure forced and pure natural convection regions are made. In the mixed convection region, the results are compared with available finite-difference solutions of the boundary layer equations showing excellent agreement. The region close to the extrusion slot is characterized as a non-similar forced-convection dominated region in which Nu_xRe_x^−1/2 drops sharply with increasing Richardson number (Ri_x). This is followed by a self-similar forced-convection dominated region in which Nu_xRe_x^−1/2 levels off with increasing Ri_x until the buoyancy effect sets in. The existence and extent of the latter region depend upon the value of B. A non-similar mixed convection region where increasing buoyancy effect enhances the heat transfer rate follows. Finally, this region is followed downstream by a self-similar natural-convection dominated region in which Nu_xRe_x^−1/2 approaches the pure natural convection asymptote at large Ri_x. Critical values of Ri_x to distinguish the various convection regimes are determined for different Pr and B.     

Development of adaptive modeling techniques for non-linear hysteretic systems

Adaptive estimation procedures have gained significant attention by the research community to perform real-time identification of non-linear hysteretic structural systems under arbitrary dynamic excitations. Such techniques promise to provide real-time, robust tracking of system response as well as the ability to track time variation within the system being modeled. An overview of some of the authors’ previous work in this area is presented, along with a discussion of some of the emerging issues being tackled with regard to this class of problems. The trade-offs between parametric-based modeling and non-parametric modeling of non-linear hysteretic dynamic system behavior are discussed. Particular attention is given to (1) the effects of over- and under-parameterization on parameter convergence and system output tracking performance, (2) identifiability in multi-degree-of-freedom structural systems, (3) trade-offs in setting user-defined parameters for adaptive laws, and (4) the effects of noise on measurement integration. Both simulation and experimental results indicating the performance of the parametric and non-parametric methods are presented and their implications are discussed in the context of adaptive structures and structural health monitoring.